WO2004010403A1

WO2004010403A1 - Distance learning system and installation therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2004010403A1
Application number: PCT/FR2003/002295
Authority: WO
Inventors: Abdulai Danso; Dennis Paul Dunham
Original assignee: Abdulai Danso; Dennis Paul Dunham
Priority date: 2002-07-19
Filing date: 2003-07-18
Publication date: 2004-01-29
Also published as: AU2003271820A1; FR2842638A1; FR2842638B1

Abstract

The invention concerns a system comprising image and sound capturing means equipping a lecture room (unit B3) of usual dimensions, means for remote real-time transmission of data recorded in the lecture room and for displaying them in a virtual lecture room (unit B8) to students divided into several groups to whom are assigned experts and recording and reading means for playback of the sessions during a predetermined time interval.

Description

SYSTEM FOR REMOTE EDUCATION AND THE INSTALLATION FOR IMPLEMENTING THE DUPIT SYSTEM

The present invention relates to a system for distance education as well as to the installation for implementing said method.

Its purpose is more particularly to solve the problems of traditional teaching systems and, more generally, of the transfer of knowledge between a teacher and students who may be in his vicinity, for example in the same amphitheater or at distance at points far away from the globe.

It applies in particular, but not exclusively, to students who work in very specialized fields and who wish to follow lessons given by professors who are the great specialists in these fields and who are therefore very few in number on a global scale. .

In general, we know that many solutions have already been proposed in the area of distance education. However, most of these solutions have the following drawbacks:

- They are not capable of satisfying an ever-increasing demand for adult students who wish to study at home or at distant sites, located far away from the institutions offering teaching. - They require high development costs which limit their ability to follow the evolution of knowledge and information.

- They do not allow to obtain a real interactivity which research in education shows that it is very desirable for the acquisition of knowledge.

The invention therefore more particularly aims to eliminate these drawbacks.

To this end, it offers a system making it possible to take better advantage of the high-tech communication means currently available (for example multimedia communications using the cable telephone network, cellular telephone networks, Internet and Intranet networks and / or communications by satellite) to ensure a connection between a specialized professor, experts in the field treated by the professor and students who can directly attend the teacher's course or follow the teachings of this professor remotely, while being immersed in the atmosphere of the course and being able to dialogue with the experts, in order to obtain possible clarifications on the teaching developed by the professor.

According to the invention, this system essentially involves:

- Means of taking pictures and sounds equipping a classroom of usual size, for example, with a capacity of less than a hundred students.

- Means of remote transmission of information recorded in the classroom to students divided into several groups that can be disseminated in different points of the globe. - Means of communication between, on the one hand, the professor who teaches in the classroom and a plurality of experts in the field taught by the professor so as to allow the professor to supervise the work of the experts and, on the other hand, between the students of each of the groups and the experts respectively assigned to the said groups so as to allow the experts to monitor the progress of the students they have in charge, the groups assigned to each of the experts not exceeding one hundred pupils.

- Means of recording and reading allowing all students to backscatter the lessons for a predetermined period of time.

The above means of transmission are designed to allow students not present in the classroom to follow the lessons in real time.

The body of experts is recruited and appointed by the professor. Experts have the confidence of the professor and are able to answer questions raised by the professor in the same way as the professor would. As they use means of communication (for example communication via the Internet and / or satellite), they are not geographically linked and can be located virtually anywhere on the globe. This therefore offers the teacher a practically unlimited choice. Because the experts can work from home, this allows people with the requisite knowledge, but who are permanently at home, to exercise this activity. It is therefore a particularly interesting job for the disabled.

The experts' responsibility may be limited to:

- ask questions to students not present in the classroom, - receive questions from these students and send them answers,

- provide feedback to the professor on the progress made by the students.

Of course, the classroom must be equipped to be self-sufficient in terms of communication and include:

- means of transmission for video conference,

- Internet access,

- an electronic mailbox, - a multitasking multimedia station,

- means of discussion between online users,

- a whiteboard,

- a real and virtual library,

- a real and virtual laboratory.

The whiteboard is an interactive board that automatically and automatically captures all written or drawn inscriptions on its surface. This board transforms a classroom into a more productive environment by allowing participants to listen and participate instead of taking notes.

When used in a teleconferencing system, it allows remote transmission, in real time, of the data entered (registrations, orders, etc.).

It includes an easy-to-use sensitive surface, for example using standard erasable markers.

It allows an interactive projection as well as electronic captures of written information. Thanks to these provisions, a professor who gives a lesson to a limited number of students, for example fifty, is monitored remotely in real time by:

- a small number of experts, for example 5,

- a relatively large number (eg 550) of distant pupils outside the classroom. Experts and distant students follow the course in real time as if they were present in the classroom.

The teacher normally teaches for the students in the room. He can stimulate the course by asking questions. However, at least three or four times during the reading, he must also ask questions intended to elicit answers from distant students (not present in the room): in fact, he must successively ask the questions and then take a break so as to so that students can answer questions.

However, in this case the distant students do not respond to the teachers but to the experts assigned to them who are responsible for examining the responses and responding to the students. The experts also have the task of returning information to the professor on the answers given to the questions by the students: this return to the professor may take the form of a summary report produced by the expert. Depending on the reports he has received, the professor may choose to detail, review, or re-expose a portion of the course exactly as he would in a conventional university.

At the same time, the course is recorded, for example via the Internet, in a storage memory. Remote students who were unable to follow the course live will be able to access this course for a week, study it, answer questions and ask other relevant questions. The expert will check the answers daily and provide appropriate assistance.

An embodiment of the invention will be described below, by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation illustrating the general principle of the system according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation illustrating the communication protocol between the students, the administrative service and the teachers;

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation illustrating the communication protocol between the distant students, the (virtual) classroom, the experts and the professor;

Figure 4 is a schematic view showing the layout of the various elements of the system used in the classroom;

Figure 5 is a schematic perspective representation of a movable dome along a vertical axis and integrating a camera and a projector;

Figure 6 is a schematic representation illustrating the actions of experts vis-à-vis students of the virtual classroom and teachers;

Figure 7 is a schematic representation illustrating the access protocol of students to the virtual library; Figure 8 is a block diagram of a system according to the invention.

In this example, the method according to the invention involves a multipurpose classroom equipped with usual teaching means as well as means of distance communication essentially constituted by the Internet. More specifically, this multipurpose classroom can be associated with:

- a real and / or virtual laboratory, - a real and / or virtual library,

- virtual and / or real assistants,

- a real and / or virtual room,

this set of means being managed by a physical control center.

The multi-purpose classroom is run by a professor assisted on site by assistants and seconded for the monitoring of distant students by experts in the fields concerned by the courses. Of course, an administrative service is also provided for student registrations, the management of the various associated services such as the (loan) library, the sale of books, software, access to laboratories, etc.

The students (block Bγ) who attend the lessons belong to two categories: a first category of close students who physically attend the lessons in the classroom and distant students who follow the lessons in real time remotely using means of appropriate multimedia communication, here the Internet network (block B) and possibly satellite links.

Access by distant students to the classroom (block B ₃ ) is via a portal page (block B ₄ ) which constitutes the access point central to the classroom (block B ₃ ). In fact, this portal page, managed by an administrative service (block B ₅ ) will have to be designed in such a way as to allow the installation of all the usual modes of communication such as transmissions for compliant video, Internet access, mailboxes, multitasking and multimedia collaborations, leading online user discussion groups, the whiteboard, etc.

Thanks to this portal page, students can carry out registration formalities, collaborate in real time with administrative services, with teachers, and with experts.

Of course, after their admissions, students can have their own work place where they can collaborate with each other and with the teaching staff.

Close students are those who traditionally attend the classroom. They have direct contact with the professor during the lessons. Close students have the option of using the same services as those offered to distant students. In the event that they cannot be present in class, close students will be able to follow the courses at home or elsewhere (for example at the hospital) provided they have the appropriate equipment.

Experts from the college of experts (block B ₆ ) are recruited by teachers (block B ₇ ). They help teachers to take into account a large number of distant students (which may be located in widely spaced locations on the globe). A distant student has direct contact with only one expert. Each expert is assigned a group of students, for example one hundred.

The experts (block B ₆ ) collaborate directly with distant students, in real time or with all kinds of collaboration tools. Preferably, the experts (block B ₆ ) are located at the university, it being understood that they could be elsewhere. Thanks to current multimedia means and Internet technologies, via satellite, they can be recruited anywhere in the world as long as the professor knows them and has confidence in them.

The teachers (block B ₇ ) are the actors who animate the classroom (block B ₃ ). They have direct contact with close students. Their only direct contacts with distant students are the contacts they have during the interview before students are admitted.

The teacher conducts his course in a traditional way, except that the classroom will be equipped with a whiteboard TB (Figure 4) with sensitive surface on which he can write and make presentations. The content of the whiteboard (the inscriptions on the board) are transmitted to distant students.

Because the classroom is in the field of video cameras that transmit their images in real time to distant students, special care will be taken so as not to transmit live incoherent and confusing content.

The teacher can ask questions directly to his class and close students can provide answers directly. Each expert may designate a student under his control to answer questions.

Occasionally, the professor can take a look at the list of distant students and experts who are present in the virtual classroom. He can also introduce an expert or a student to the classroom by projecting his image on the whiteboard. The teacher can then send messages to the person by acting on a poster posted on the whiteboard. Administrative staff are only assigned to administrative tasks and are responsible for verifying any kind of information required in the student registration process.

He informs and transmits all information (contact, education, etc.) to the professor concerned. These staff can interact in real time with students who have a microcomputer equipped with multimedia terminals.

The protocol for registering a student for a course is illustrated in FIG. 2 which indicates the exchanges between student E, the administrative service S A (via an entry portal) and the professor PR in charge of the course.

In accordance with this protocol, the student will have to transmit to the administrative service a request for registration (arrow F ^, have a first interview with the administrative services (arrow F ₂ ) and possibly transmit all the information requested by these services (arrow F ₃ The administrative services SA inform the professor PR (arrow F ₄ ) who contacts student E (arrow F ₅ ) to make an appointment (arrow F ₆ ). In the case of a distant student, the interview (arrow F ₇ ) can be conducted online, in real time.

Professor PR then contacts the administrative service SA to let him know if student E is accepted (arrow F ₈ ) or if he is refused (arrow F _{8 '} ).

If student E is accepted, the administrative service SA contacts student E (arrow F ₉ ) to inform them and ask them to pay their tuition. The student then makes this payment (arrow F ₁₀ ) and the administrative department SA then transmits the admission documents and the access code to the portal (arrow F _π ). In the event that student E is refused, the administrative service contacts him (arrow F ₁₂ ) to inform him. Full collaboration is required for all partners involved in the multi-purpose course system, this collaboration being of two different natures:

- asynchronous collaboration,

- synchronous collaboration.

Asynchronous, or deferred time, collaboration is the collaboration that can be exercised on site without having to move around the classroom.

This collaboration can be carried out by means of communication, for example the Internet, and modes of communication such as, for example mailbox, calendar, discussion forum, sharing of documents.

Synchronous collaboration is real-time collaboration that includes:

- real-time knowledge acquisition, - discussion,

- instant message transmission,

- multimedia meetings,

- multimedia communication,

- shared application, - online assistance.

Of course, the relationships between the actual classroom and the virtual classroom will be managed by a classroom manager.

The organization of courses for remote ED students is carried out as illustrated in Figure 3: Professor PR recruits his EX experts (arrow F ₁₃ ) and establishes a calendar of sessions (arrow F ₁₄ ) in collaboration with the administrative service SA.

ED students must register for the course (arrow F ₁₅ ) and take note of the calendar proposed by the professor:. each student is assigned an EX expert (arrow F ₁₆ ).

The lesson given by professor PR (arrow F ₁₇ ) in the classroom (block B ₃ , fig. 1) is recorded and retransmitted so as to obtain a virtual classroom VC (block B ₈ ), image of the room real course (block B ₉ ) accessible by distant ED students.

The actual classroom, as well as the virtual classroom VC, are controlled from a CC control center.

Professor PR pauses and asks questions (arrow F ₁₈ ). EX experts designate ED students who will have to answer the questions (arrow Fι ₉ ). ED students requested must send their answers to the EX experts (arrow F ₂₀ ) to whom they can ask questions (arrow F ₂₁ ), the EX experts then having to answer the questions put to them (arrow F ₂₂ ).

At the end of the course, the EX expert makes a report (arrow F ₂₃ ) which he transmits to professor PR, who can adapt his course according to the nature of the reports he receives (arrow F ₂₅ ).

The course is automatically archived (arrow F ₂₄ ) in the virtual classroom for a period of approximately 15 days (arrow F ₂ ). This course can then be downloaded by remote students without them having to travel. As previously mentioned, during lessons, distant ED students must be in the same atmosphere as if they were actually in the classroom.

To achieve this result, different techniques can be used, for example making it possible to switch from stereoscopic 3D views to two-dimensional views with the most suitable camera positions to give the feeling that one is inside the room. courses.

At any time, depending on the person or object to be filmed, the operator will have to select a camera and manipulate its position to provide the exact correspondence between the position of the student and the expert in front of his screen .

For example, to achieve these results, the equipment in the classroom may include, as illustrated in Figure 4:

- a whiteboard TB on which the professor PR can write normally and project information from a personal computer using a video projector VP permanently fixed to the ceiling of the room,

- two video cameras V, VC ₂ arranged so as to be able to film the classroom, the teacher and the whiteboard,

- microphones and wireless AC audio sensors,

- a PR projector to project applications and images on the whiteboard,

- a CC control center to control the position of cameras, projectors and network sockets,

- a camera and audio / video mixing controller,

- a real-time network socket studio + switch, - a K audio headset for the controller (to control the audio inputs from the teacher's microphone). Advantageously, to recreate an atmosphere close to reality, the position of the camera (or cameras) must be controlled by the sitting position of distant students or experts.

For this purpose, it will be possible to place in the center of the classroom, a mobile camera along a vertical axis and the height of which can be continuously adjusted by an operator so as to obtain an optimum view at any time. Similarly, it can pivot around this axis.

An embodiment of a device making it possible to obtain this result is illustrated in FIG. 5.

In this example, the central camera CC and the projector PJ are arranged in a DC dome mounted sliding along a vertical slide GV, for example two meters high, so as to be able to execute a vertical stroke of approximately one meter . The DC dome can also pivot around the axis of the GV slide.

The movements of the DC dome, as well as the movements of the camera and projector heads contained in the dome, can be controlled remotely using remote control means provided in the control room adjoining the classroom (control center located at the back of the classroom behind the BC benches reserved for students).

The operator at the control room will make sure that the remote ED students have the same vision as the students present in the classroom. To this end, the operator will manipulate the camera by zooming when the professor PR writes on the whiteboard TB, by adjusting the azimuth and the site to follow the movements of professor PR. At the same time, he can adjust the position of the projector on the TB panel. Both heads (camera and projector respectively) can be activated at the same time.

Thus, during the projection on the whiteboard TB, the camera can also film it. In this case, two streams will be present, namely the projection stream which can come from micro webcam camera coming from EX experts or distant ED students when we want to make a teleconference and the camera stream which can be transmitted to all EX experts and to all ED remote students.

Professor PR will be able to carry a wireless microphone associated with sensors installed on the wall. The audio input can be mixed with video streams to the central mix before it is transmitted over the Internet.

A virtual screen keyboard may be available on the TB whiteboard with sensitive screen so as to allow the professor to directly control the projection of the content of the image coming from the computer.

The virtual screen keyboard may appear or disappear on the TB whiteboard following an action on a button present on the TB whiteboard. Occasionally, the teacher may also use the screen keyboard to project the list of people present in the VC virtual classroom.

As previously mentioned, the EX experts are responsible for the following tasks:

- ask questions to distant ED students and check their answers, - receive questions from distant ED students and provide the answers, - return information to the PR professor about the evolution (progress) of ED students,

- administer exams, the subjects of which are provided by the teachers,

- propose to deliver the diplomas with the approval of Professor PR.

To this end, the communication protocol used by EX experts with distant ED students, with the virtual classroom VC and with the professor PR, can be established as illustrated in FIG. 6 in which:

- Firstly, the professor PR recruits his experts (arrow F ₃₀ ), then sends a calendar of sessions to the virtual classroom VC (arrow F ₃₁ ).

- ED students register for the courses (arrow F ₃₂ ) and declare themselves to the EX expert appointed to them (arrow F ₃₃ ).

- ED students, as well as EX experts, connect to the VC classroom (arrows F ₃₄ and F ₃₅ ).

- Professor PR develops his course (arrow F ₃₆ ) then pauses by asking questions (arrow F ₃₇ ).

- The EX expert designates a student to answer the questions (arrow F ₃₈ ).

- The designated ED pupil answers the questions of Professor PR (arrow F ₃₉ ) and himself asks questions to the EX expert (arrow F ₄₀ ).

- The EX expert answers the ED student's questions (arrow F ₄₁ ) then, at the end of the course, sends a report to the professor PR (arrow F ₄₂ ).

Outside of class, the EX expert can offer his ED students exercises, ask them questions (arrow F ₃ ) and receive their answers. (arrow F ₄₄ ), transmit to the professor reports concerning the progress of the students (arrow F ₄₅ ). These exercises can be offered in virtual form using virtual experts (block B ₁₀ ), real expert images (block B _π ).

He may submit to the PR professor proposals for the award of diplomas for approval (arrow F ₆ ) and, depending on the professor's response, grant or refuse the diploma (arrow F ₄₇ ).

The library accessible to students is a lending library which includes both classic books as well as virtual books obtained by scanning classic books (virtual library (block B ₁₂ ) image of the real library (block B ₁₃ )). Students can temporarily take books home with payment of a contribution.

As far as distant students are concerned, these ED students will in practice only have access to virtual books stored in the virtual library (block B ₁₂ ) and managed by BT librarians (Figure 7).

For this purpose, they must have a CN navigation catalog allowing them to select a work (arrow F ₅₀ ), and to send a request to the library server (block B ₁₂ ). After validation of the request (arrow F ₅₁ ) and payment of the corresponding contribution (arrow F ₅₂ ), the virtual library server (block B ₁₂ ) informs the library staff (BT librarian) that a book has been ordered (arrow F ₅₃ ) and that they must prepare the sending of this work (arrow F ₅₄ ) and proceed with this sending (arrow F ₅₅ ).

The ED student can ask the server to borrow the (real) work (arrow F ₅₆ ). The server will then check its availability (arrow F ₅₇ ) before accepting or refusing the loan (arrow F ₅₈ ). Similarly, the ED student can ask the server to download the (virtual) work (arrow F ₅₉ ). The server, after checking the authorization (arrow F ₆ o), can accept or refuse this download (arrow F ₆₁ ).

As previously mentioned, the system according to the invention can involve a laboratory (block B ₁₄ ) equipped with an installation similar to that of the classroom and coupled with a virtual laboratory (block B ₁₅ ) which consists of an image real laboratory electronics.

In addition, this system could be equipped with IT resources (tools) to facilitate the students' task (for example calculation, simulation, modeling, CAD, CAD, etc. software).

The system previously described may have a hardware architecture such as that which is illustrated in FIG. 8 which involves:

"the Internet network on which remote students and experts are connected, and

"an Intranet network to which are connected:

- PR professors,

- PA administrative staff,

- EX experts and close E students,

- the laboratory server SL, - the virtual library BR,

- the SCA asynchronous collaboration server,

- the SCS synchronous collaboration server,

- the SBD database server,

- a server ... LMAP and, - a CC control center in the classroom. The connection between the Internet and the Intranet network, meanwhile:

- a first fire stop CFi, - a RC load distributor,

- an Internet network server SRI,

- a second CF ₂ fire break, and

- a portal server.

The control center of the classroom is connected to the camera, the microphone, the mixer and the whiteboard manager.

The SP portal server is the central access point in the heart of the multi-purpose classroom. This SP portal provides two essential working environments in which end users conduct their tasks. It is a pivot to manage people, goods and things to make them work together in a harmonious way. The portal should perform knowledge management by providing end users with a single point of access to people, places and things that exist within the boundaries of the course delivery entity, for example the university.

In this system, people are the actors in the system. Real-time communication tools provide ways for end users to see the status and location of other users.

In addition, these tools provide a means of entering "online" communication with these users through an easy to understand and easy to use interface. The premises define a context for work activities. A workspace must be equipped and suitably organized so that people can focus on their tasks and not on the tools used to carry them out. Personal places are multi-page environments that essentially contain the tools to perform daily tasks. The end user assembles his personal place by organizing his services such as:

- mailbox, calendars, Intranet applications,

- daily activities, in general tasks, courses and teaching projects.

Public places are similar to personal places. They bring together many individuals and provide workplaces and tools for team collaboration.

Things are the essential resources, or content, that people can access and use to accomplish their tasks.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.

Thus, for example, the dome may contain only the central camera whose function is to film the images of the professor in the class as well as the information described, drawn and projected on the surface of the whiteboard and to transmit them to the college of distant students. and the experts who attend and follow the distance courses.

In this case, the projector can be mounted on a support fixed to the ceiling above the dome so as to allow the teacher to project pre-recorded external elements which may consist of a video cassette, a CD Rom, a DVD etc. on the surface of the whiteboard. This projector may also make it possible to project the image of a speaker, for example the image of an expert or that of a distant student, taken by a microcamera ("webcam") associated with the microcomputer of this speaker. In addition, two cameras, one panoramic placed at the back of the room, at ceiling level, to film the room continuously, and another with a moving head (zoom / pose / tilt), placed above the whiteboard will be provided to allow the supervisor to film the close student who is asking questions or responding to the professor, and to project his image on the whiteboard.

In this example, the whiteboard will not be used to transmit images and information to the college of distant students and experts.

On the other hand, it can receive the image coming from the microcamera ("webcam"), associated with the computer of a speaker, and projected on its surface thanks to the projector. Simultaneously, the moving head camera will be able to film the course and transmit the image of this course on the participant's computer screen.

It appears that, although the virtual classroom is a real-time replica of the real classroom, the nature of these two rooms and their capacity are very different: thus an actual classroom can contain about 50 close students, while the virtual replica of the same room more than 100 distant students.

Furthermore, an essential advantage of the invention described above consists of the intervention of experts who in the system constitute paravirtual elements which can replace the professor in the virtual classroom and allow a single professor to teach more than 550 students scattered around the world.

This presence of experts in the virtual classroom makes all the technology used efficient and profitable.

Claims

claims

1. A system for distance education using multimedia communication means that can use the communication networks currently available, such as the cable telephone network, cellular telephone networks, Internet and Intranet networks and / or communication networks. satellite communication, to ensure a connection between a specialized professor, experts in the field treated by the professor and students who can directly attend the teacher's course or follow the teachings of this professor remotely, while being immersed in the atmosphere of the course and being able to dialogue with the experts, in order to obtain possible clarifications on the teaching developed by this teacher, characterized by that it includes:

- means of shooting and sound equipping a classroom of usual dimensions,

- means of remote transmission in real time of the information recorded in the classroom and to present it in the form of a virtual classroom to students divided into several groups to which are respectively assigned the experts who can be disseminated in different points of the globe,

- recording and reading means equipping the classroom so as to allow all students to retro-broadcast the lessons for a predetermined period of time,

the aforementioned means of communication being designed so as to allow the professor, who teaches in the classroom, to communicate, on the one hand with the experts so as to supervise them and, on the other hand, to allow Students in each of the groups communicate with the experts assigned to those groups, so that the experts can monitor the progress of the students they have in charge and report to the professor.

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the classroom comprises means of transmission for video conference, Internet access, an electronic mailbox, at least one multitasking multimedia station, means of discussion between online users. , a real and virtual library and a real and virtual laboratory.

3. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the classroom comprises an interactive whiteboard having a sensitive surface so as to be able to enter all the written or drawn inscriptions on this surface by computer and automatically, this whiteboard being equipped with means enabling all the data entered to be transmitted remotely.

4. System according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises projection means on the whiteboard.

5. System according to one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that it comprises a keyboard displayed on the whiteboard allowing the professor to transmit messages to experts and / or students.

6. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the classroom comprises: - a whiteboard (TB) on which the professor (PR) can write normally and project information from a personal computer using a video projector (VP) permanently fixed to the ceiling of the room, - two video cameras (V , VC ₂ ) arranged so as to be able to film the classroom, the teacher and the whiteboard,

- microphones and wireless audio sensors (CA),

- a projector (PR) to project applications and images on the whiteboard, - a control center (CC) to control the position of cameras, projectors and network sockets,

- a camera and audio / video mixing controller,

- a real-time network socket studio + switch,

- headphones (K) for the controller (to control the audio inputs from the teacher's microphone).

7. System according to claim 6, characterized in that the position of at least one of the cameras is controlled by the sitting position of students or experts in front of the screen of their microcomputers.

8. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the camera is movable along a vertical axis and pivots around this axis under the control of an operator.

9. System according to claim 8, characterized in that the camera is arranged in a dome mounted sliding and pivoting along a vertical slide, the displacements of the dome as well as the movements of the heads of the camera and the projector being controllable at distance thanks to remote control means provided in a control room adjoining the classroom.

10. System according to claim 9, characterized in that the dome further contains a projector.

11. System according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises a projector mounted on a support fixed to the ceiling above the dome so as to allow the teacher to project onto the whiteboard the prerecorded external elements, as well as the images. stakeholders such as experts or distant students, taken by a microcamera associated with the π computer of this speaker.

12. System according to one of claims 6 to 11, characterized in that it comprises two cameras, one placed at the rear of the room, at the level of the ceiling for filming the room continuously, and another, with movable head, placed above the whiteboard to film the students dialoguing with the professor.

13. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a real and virtual library and means allowing students to download virtual works after authorization.

14. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it involves an Internet network to which remote students and experts are connected and an Intranet network to which professors, administrative staff, experts and nearby students, a laboratory server, a virtual library of synchronous and / or asynchronous collaboration servers, a database server and a classroom control center, connected to the camera, a microphone and the manager of the whiteboard.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the connection between the Intranet network and the Internet network comprises a portal server through which students and remote experts must pass through to access the people, places and things existing in within the boundaries of the course delivery entity.